Comics Corner: The Long Halloween 2

Title: Batman: The Long Halloween

Issue Number: 2

Release Date: January 1997

Highlights

• Intriguing entry that makes you want to keep reading, but...

Low Points

• ...Felt short, and nothing really got accomplished
• Story doesn't feel like it's advancing
• Cover is misleading - Solomon Grundy is neither predominant nor relevant to the story

Oddities

• Harvey Dent got blown up, and there's not a scratch on him, yet his wife is covered head to toe in bandages in a hospital bed

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Bat Symbols grading system)

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Comics Corner: The Long Halloween 1

Title: Batman: The Long Halloween

Issue Number: 1

Release Date: December 1996

Highlights

• You can see the inspiration which lead into Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy
• Very mysterious plot builds in this first of thirteen issues
• Harvey Dent's gets blown up

Low Points

• Not sold on why Catwoman needs to be involved - She doesn't do anything

Oddities

• Artwork feels sloppy and undefined, pretty bad for a premium priced book

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Bat Symbols grading system)

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 25

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 25

Release Date: June 1965

Highlights

• Finally! Peter Parker makes a back-up Spider-Man costume
• First appearance of Smythe and his Spider Slayer
• First appearance of Mary Jane Watson...Except her face is hidden behind a plant and head dress
• Aunt May find's Peter's second costume and confronts him

Low Points

• J Jonah Jameson rampages through the city with a robot, but yet he's not arrested or even considered for a moment to be a villain

Oddities

• I don't understand what all the mystery is behind Mary Jane Watson that Stan and Steve kept mentioning her, but never showed her, and now even when she appears, they cover her face

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 24

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 24

Release Date: May 1965

Highlights

• Mysterio makes a mysterious entrance as the villain of the issue, disguised as Doctor Ludwig Rinehart

Low Points

• Story takes too long to get to the point, and the payoff is just Mysterio in disguise
• Boring

Oddities

• Peter Parker believes what he reads about a psychiatrist (actually Mysterio in disguise) stating Spider-Man will eventually go mad

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Xanadu

I've never seen the movie Xanadu, nor do I honestly have any interest to.

XANADU is a look at the future and a loving remembrance of the way things were in the heyday of Hollywood. The musical score includes the hit songs "Magic," "I'm Alive," "All Over The World," "Suddenly," and the title song "XANADU." Olivia Newton-John, the screen's newest love goddess, will dazzle your senses with her luminous beauty and beautiful voice. She and Gene Kelly star in this dazzling musical fantasy. The 40s meet the 80s in XANADU, a very special love story and the first lavish, old-fashioned musical to utilize today's music. - The back cover of the original VHS

The back cover of the VHS does state it correctly. Olivia Newton-John does have a beautiful voice, and she brings her all to the soundtrack in conjunction with Electric Light Orchestra. Jeff Lynne of  ELO takes the majority of the writing credits (having penned all of side two of the album). However, there are several contributions to the album vocally, such as Olivia Newton-John, The Tubes, Cliff Richards and even Gene Kelly. It's a fantastic conglomeration of talent all under one record jacket.

What I like most about the soundtrack is its mixture of 80's and 40's style sounds - some of which gets combined in tracks. A perfect example of this is Dancin', which has a fun almost doo-wop soda shop sound to it. Because this is Olivia Newton-John, after all, you will run into a few ballads throughout the album. However, the majority of it takes the lead from ELO's style of fantastic pop synth and orchestra string style music, which I really enjoy. As such, I do have to say I favor side two of the album over side one.

When you hear the building beginning of I'm Alive, you get on the edge of your seat with an, "Oh dang, something is about to happen," feeling. Then it blasts at you with the drums and acoustic guitar as the song takes off. You then get The Fall, a track which features an almost haunting Jeff Lynne echoing in your ears. Don't Walk Away and All Over The World are good, but don't thrill as much as the first two. The album culminates in the film titled, Xanadu, which features a fantastic duet between Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra. The producers were saving the best for last I guess.

Overall, I really liked this album. It was different, but at the same time really good. Perhaps it's because while it was a commercial success, it's not like I was pelted with it repeatedly on 80's airwaves. At least not by 1982, when I really started paying attention to music. It was a nice change of pace, and one I'll keep in the back of my mind when I need to get away from mainstream music, but still sit down with something enjoyable from start to finish.

Hmm...Maybe I will check out the movie.

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Gremlins Cereal (Ralston)

Gremlins Cereal
Ralston
1984

Looks like mini Gizmos. Tastes like Mr. T cereal. Considering the two came out the same year, I don't think that's a coincidence in any way. Ralston literally took the same recipe, smashed it in different molds, and slapped a new label on it. Unique in a way that this allowed for many new branded cereals for the time. Lame, because it was the same cereal.

Gremlins Cereal offered two promotions during its very limited run. The first was a plush Gizmo, which was produced and sponsored in part by Hasbro and offered as a mail away incentive. As such, these plush dolls could also easily be purchased at most retailers which sold toys during the same time period.

The second was a set of eleven stickers. These were randomly inserted into specially marked boxes, one sticker per box. These are the same stickers produced and released by Topps for their 1984 trading card set. Essentially, you didn't need to buy cereal boxes to get them all, as they could easily be obtained from wax packs.

Considering both promotions were readily available via multiple avenues, they're pretty poor incentives. At least in my opinion they are.

The cereal didn't survive all that long in 1984, and was quickly shuffled off of shelves prior to the end of the year to make way for the next branded one to take its place...Probably Mr. T.

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 23

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 23

Release Date: April 1965

Highlights

• The Green Goblin returns
• First appearance of Lucky Lobo
• Frederick Foswell is out of prison (see issue 10) and returns to work at the Daily Bugle
• Lucky Lobo's entire gang gets busted

Low Points

• The back and forth distrust between Peter Parker and Betty Brant has officially worn thin - One issue she doesn't trust him, the next he doesn't trust her

Oddities

• Peter Parker leaves his Spider-Man outfit just sitting on a hanger in the attic?
• Spider-Man stops mid-fight to call Aunt May and tell her he won't be home in time for dinner

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 22

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 22

Release Date: March 1965

Highlights

• Return of the Ringmaster and his gang
• The gaggle of circus creeps toss Ringmaster out of his own gang
• Peter talks about Dr. Henry Pym - As in Pym Particles, Ant Man, etc.

Low Points

• Simple heist story with little imagination, very boring

Oddities

• Spider-Man knows how to hypnotize people?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 21

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 21

Release Date: February 1965

Highlights

• The Beetle appears in The Amazing Spider-Man for the first time, but it's not his first appearance in comics
• Shameless plug for Coke, yup, that's a highlight
• Peter Parker shouts down Johnny Storm in public 
• Peter Parker really takes it to heart that the people of the city fear him

Low Points

• From a personal perspective, Human Torch needs to politely exit Spider-Man's spotlight and go back to the Fantastic Four where he belongs 
• Betty Brant continues to prove she's nothing but emotional baggage

Oddities

• Human Torch assumes Spider-Man is behind his girlfriend going missing just because he finds webbing in her home - He's too dumb to think Spider-Man may have been trying to help?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: The Transformers The Movie

I've never pretended to be a big Transformers fan, both of the toys or television show. In fact, I never even saw the movie until the 90's, when a friend of mine from high school ordered me a copy of the VHS from Canada - The only place it was available from at the time. It was okay, but what stood out to me much more than the film itself was the awesome soundtrack.

There's an evil new force in the universe. A monster planet that devours everything in its path. And it's heading for the small planet of Cybertron where a unique race of transforming robots continues to fight a civil ware-a war between good and evil that has raged for millions of years.

The evil Decepticon Transformers, led by the manical Megatron, have sworn to crush their enemies, the Autobots. To this end, they have relentlessly pursued them across the galaxy from planet Cybertron to planet Earth and back again. But the heroic Autobot Transformers and their courageous leader Optimus Prime are not easily defeated. - Back cover of the original VHS

One of my favorite aspects of this album is how "raw" it feels. Lots of thrashing style songs, heavy guitar licks and amazing drumming and bass work make it equal to that of your high profile heavy metal hair band of the 80's. It's mixed well with a handful of wonderful ballad and uptempo synthesizer led instrumental tracks from Vince DiCola.

Some of my all time favorites include Instruments of Destruction from N.R.G., Dare from Stan Bush, Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way from Spectre General, The Transformers from Lion and Escape from Vince DiCola. Though it's by no means the only way you can hear or get it, I also enjoy how the album ends with "Weird Al" Yankovic's Dare To Be Stupid, a track heard in the film during the scene on Junkion.

It's got its hits and misses, but overall, The Transformers The Movie album is pretty solid and it stands up to the test of time. Unfortunately, it's a little tough to come by these days. It crops up on ebay in batches, but it's going to cost you between $30.00 and $70.00, depending on the seller.

There's also an equally costly 20th Anniversary edition which includes a few bonus track, all of which are from Vince DiCola. Additionally, there's an alternate take of the opening theme by Vince DiCola and Stan Bush. After having a listen to this version, I'm glad Lion got the honors for the theme. Their version is far superior. 

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The Game Of Jaws (Ideal)

The Game Of Jaws
Ideal
1975

You know, if I've seen Jaws, I don't remember it. I think I've seen it...I remember owning it on VHS along with Jaws 2, Jaws 3D and Jaws: The Revenge. I have to believe because of this I've seen it. However, now that I think about it, I don't really remember any of the content in the films. Hmm....

Despite its popularity, it's difficult to make merchandise around that of a shark and the few humans which were relevant in the movie. Of course, considering it was 1975, and nobody was really banking big money on movie tie-in merchandise, it's irrelevant. Not only was there limited Jaws merchandise available, the stuff that did exist was all only relatable in the name, and not the human characters.

Take for example the 1975 Ideal game, The Game of Jaws. The concept was a take on Milton Bradley's Operation (1965). Although, without the buzzers and body parts.

The premise was to fill Jaws' mouth with all the games "junk pieces", and then be the first person to remove four from his mouth with your gaff hook. If you didn't do it correctly, the mouth would snap shut, and your turn was over. 

Honestly, it doesn't sound like all that bad of a game. I could see a younger version of myself having a lot of fun playing this with my siblings and / or friends. Heck, it wouldn't even have to be called Jaws to sell it. A game like this could have easily stood on its own.

The downer to this game is finding one complete with all the pieces and being relatively cheap. Getting one in the box with all the parts will easily set you back seventy dollars or more. Ouch. While I know there are some high tech board games out there these days that can set you back that kind of scratch, this one here is by no means fancy in any way. Not sure I would personally see the value in that, but then again I can't even remember if I've seen the movies or not. So, you know, not exactly a fan over here.

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2020 Toy and Comic Events Calendar

Like toys? Like comics? Live in the Northern Virginia area? Mayhaps it would be desirable for you to patron these local events in 2020! I know I am.

***POTENTIAL POSTPONEMENTS AND / OR CANCELLATIONS MAY BE OCCURRING AS A RESULT OF THE CORONAVIRUS. MAKE SURE YOU INQUIRE WITH THE VARIOUS EVENT HOLDERS BEFORE TREKKING OUT FOR THEM.***

Shoff's Comic and Cards (Sports and Non-Sports) Card Show
Date: February 23, 2020
Hours: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Annandale Fire House Expo Hall - 7128 Columbia Pike, Annandale, Virginia 22003
Admission: $3.00

Shoff's Comic Con
Date: March 8, 2020
Hours: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Frederick Maryland Calarion Inn - 5400 Holiday Drive, Frederick, Maryland 21703
Admission: $8.00

Shoff's Comic and Cards (Sports and Non-Sports) Card Show
Date: March 29, 2020
Hours: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Annandale Fire House Expo Hall - 7128 Columbia Pike, Annandale, Virginia 22003
Admission: $3.00

The Great Philadelphia Comic Con
Date: April 3 - 5, 2020 New Date: September 4 - 6, 2020
Hours: Varies based on package
Location: The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19460
Admission:Varies based on package, 3-day pass $69.95

Awesome Con
Date: May 1 - 3, 2020
Hours: Varies based on package
Location: Washington Convention Center - 801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Admission: Varies greatly, 3-day pass $80.00
Coronavirus Update: Click HERE

Tidewater Comic Con POSTPONED UNTIL MAY 15 - 16, 2021
Date: May 16 - 17, 2020 POSTPONED UNTIL 2021
Hours: Varies based on day
Location: Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th Street, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
Admission: Varies based on day, weekend pass $75.00

Shoff's Comic and Cards (Sports and Non-Sports) Card Show CANCELLED
Date: May 9, 2020
Hours: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Annandale Fire House Expo Hall - 7128 Columbia Pike, Annandale, Virginia 22003
Admission: $3.00

Fredericksburg Comic and Toy Show (Formerly Fredcon)
Date: July 11, 2020
Hours: Varies based on ticket, no later than 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center - 2371 Carl D Silver Parkway, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Admission: $10.00 - $15.00


Dave Hart's Baltimore Toy and Collectibles Show
Date: July 18, 2020
Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Timonium Fairgrounds - 2200 York Road, Timonium, Maryland 21003
Admission: $5.00

Dave Hart's Mega Flea Market
Date: July 19, 2020
Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Timonium Fairgrounds - 2200 York Road, Timonium, Maryland 21003
Admission: Free

Brickfair Lego Fan Expo
Date: August 1 - 2, 2020
Hours: Varies by day
Location: Dulles Expo Center - 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Virginia 20151
Admission: Varies based on day

Fairfax Comic Con
Date: August 22 - 23, 2020
Hours: Saturday - 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Sunday 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: Dulles Expo Center - 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Virginia 20151
Admission: $12.50 - $35.00

New York Comic Con
Date: October 8 - 11, 2020
Hours: Varies based on day
Location: Javits Center - 429 11th Avenue, New York, New York, 10001
Admission: Not available yet

Baltimore Comic Con
Date: October 23 - 25, 2020
Hours: Varies based on day
Location: Baltimore Convention Center - 1 W Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21201
Admission: Varies based on day and package, $65.00 three day pass

Do you know of any I didn't mention? Please post it in the comments section!

You can fill in your down time between all of these great shows by hitting some awesome toy and comic shops in the area.

Big Planet Comics
426 Maple Avenue E
Suite 4721
Vienna, Virginia 22180
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Wednesday 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Sadurday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM and Sunday 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(703) 242-9412
Other locations in Washington DC, Bethesda Maryland and College Park Maryland

Lost In Time Toys
11200 Scaggsville Road
Suite 105
Fulton, Maryland 20759
Monday through Saturday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM and Sunday 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(301) 776-8697

The Toy Exchange
1001 Twin Arch Road
Suite 12
Mt. Airy, Maryland 21771
Monday through Saturday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM and Sunday 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(301) 829-0700

Tosche Station
7521 Huntsman Boulevard
Springfield, Virginia 22153
Monday through Saturday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
(703) 489-2912

Victory Comics
586 S Washington Street
Falls Church, Virginia 22046
Monday through Friday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
(703) 241-9393

Know of any other vintage toy or comic shops? Drop their name in the comments section!

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 20

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 20

Release Date: January 1965

Highlights

• First appearance of the MacDonald Gargan / the Scorpion
• Ned Leeds leaves for Europe
• J. Jonah Jameson is responsible for creating the Scorpion - Officially making J.J.J. a villain in my book 
• Spidey gets a whoopin' - Twice!
• Great story, great villain and great action - One of the best stories since Spidey was created

Low Points

• The mystery cliffhanger from issue 19 is a letdown - Simply a guy being paid by J. Jonah Jameson to follow Peter Parker in order to find out how he gets photos of Spider-Man

Oddities

• Spider-Man makes a bat out of webbing and uses it to startle a man he's following
• Gargan is willing to submit himself to a scientific experiment for only $10,000.00 - Sure, that equates to $83,624.25 on the inflation calculator, but still, that's not much for something so risky
• Scorpion comes out of nowhere, landing on Spider-Man's back in mid air as he swings

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 19

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 19

Release Date: December 1963

Highlights

• Human Torch joins the fight (ties back to Strange Tales 127, but is not a necessary read for Spider-Man's story line)
• Sandman and the Enforcers return 
• Peter Parker meets Ned Leeds
• Mysterious cliffhanger ending

Low Points

• Spider-Man and Human Torch don't capture Sandman because they both get tangled up in Spider-Man's webbing

Oddities

• The Enforcers have a backpack that sprays foam to extinguish Human Torch
• Betty is concerned she's lost Peter as a boyfriend, yet she's actively dating Ned Leeds

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 18

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 18

Release Date: November 1963

Highlights

• Very story driven with a deeper look at Peter Parker and Aunt May
• J. Jonah Jameson revels in Spider-Man being labeled a coward 
• First appearance of Ned Leeds , but not by name - just seen with Betty Brant on a date

Low Points

• Spider-Man is barely in it and there's no battle with any villains

Oddities

• Peter is so desperate to make money that he's even willing to sell the formula to his web fluid
• Throughout the entire issue, Anna May Watson is incorrectly referred to as Mrs. Watkins

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: Strange Tales Annual 2

Title: Strange Tales

Issue Number: Annual 2

Release Date: November 1964

Highlights

• A necessary read if you want to connect the dots in The Amazing Spider-Man 18
• Spider-Man and Human Torch work together for the first time

Low Points

• Spider-Man is considered guilty until proven innocent - Even by Human Torch
• Fox is a very boring "villain"
• Secondary story is unrelated to Spider-Man, or super heroes in general

Oddities

• Spider-Man randomly carries around silicone crystals with him and can manipulate them with a microscope?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: The Goonies

The Goonies is a timeless classic, and yet it's funny how my perspective of watching has changed from that as a kid to an adult. For those of you who remember the film as vividly as I do, picture if you will the scene where Mama Frutelli shoes the kids out of the restaurant, slamming the door behind them. She rests her back against it and mutters, "Kids suck." As a child, I would always shout at the TV, "Hey, screw you, lady!" As an adult, I can't do anything other than shake my head in agreement and proclaim, "Boy, you said it, lady." Funny how time changes us.

The Goonies, a tightly-knit band of misfit youngsters, are breaking up. With greedy developers about to raze the neighborhood, the kids spend a final drizzly morning together, trying to find a way to say goodbye. Instead, they find a real honest-to-gosh 17th century pirate map - and set out on a dazzling, day-long quest for treasure rich enough to save all their homes.

The Goonies follow the map (and their dreams)...and enter a fabulous subterranean world filled with caverns, crooks, skeletons, booby-traps, a magical, moldering pirate ship and marvelous milquetoast of a monster (ex-Raider football star John Matuszak who has swivel piglet ears and a face only Dr. Frankenstein could love.

Steven Spielberg (creator of E.T. - The Extraterrestrial, the Indian Jones films, Gremlins, Back to the Future and other blockbusters) and Richard Donner, director of Superman, Inside Moves and Ladyhawke) combine their cinematic wizardry to create The Goonies, "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" sings Cyndi Lauper in the film's title song...and you'll agree because The Goonies is part Hardy Boys, part Treasure Island, part Our Gang and 100 percent adventure! - Back cover of the original VHS

Cyndi Lauper does indeed sing "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough", but is the soundtrack?

No.

Thank you for reading. Goodnight.

I kid, but unfortunately not about the album being any good.

It's a pretty big thud for such a monumental film. Cyndi Lauper's above mentioned track is decent, or, "good enough", if you will. However, let's be honest. It's by no means her best material. Nor is it a top ten hit.

This is disappointing as this album is not easy to track down in CD format, neither is it necessarily cheap. You'll easily spend between $30.00 and $50.00 for the few which appear on ebay here and there.

Overall, the soundtrack is like a sandwich. It starts with Cyndi Lauper's track as a nice piece of bread, and finishes with the instrumental theme from Dave Grusin as the second piece of delicious bread. Unfortunately, in between said bread is a bunch of moldy meats and cheese with soggy vegetables and out of date condiments.

This is quite a bummer because it's not like this album is packed full of a bunch of random no name bands. It's got the likes of Philip Bailey, The Bangles, REO Speedwagon, Luther Vandross and Joseph Williams (who would later join Toto, and is the son of composer John Williams). These are not nobodies in the realm of 80's mainstream music. Cyndi Lauper even has a second track on the album, but it's nothing to write home about. It's as if the producers went to all of this trouble to find some of the hottest names of the 80's, but none of them wanted to bring their "A" game to the project.

Now that I've totally stepped all over the soundtrack, let me be fair to one track which gets an honorable mention. Teena Marie's 14K is a pretty good track. In fact, it may be better than The Goonies 'R' Good Enough. Glaringly omitted from the soundtrack is the on the edge of your seat opening queue, Fratelli Chase, where the family break brother Jake from prison and lead the police on a chase across town, introducing us to most of The Goonies in the process.

I proclaimed a couple Retro Spin posts ago that I was having a lot of fun with this year's albums. After The Lost Boys, and now, The Goonies, I'm starting to get a little bored of it all. I need to dig deep and find a good soundtrack to get me back on a positive mindset.

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Knight Rider (Colorforms)

Knight Rider
Colorforms
1982

David Hasselhoff has this mystic way about him of turning anything he touches into gold. He's dabbled in television, film and music across the span of four decades, and these days makes a lot of money just appearing as himself. That's how you know you're big in the industry. People want you to play yourself.

Though he had a successful run from 1975 to 1982 in the daily soap opera, The Young And The Restless, most adults from my era remember the Hoff as the one and only Michael Knight from TV's Knight Rider.

The original Knight Rider series ran for four seasons, a total of 90 episodes, and with it brought hours of entertainment to fans young and old. Michael Knight and Kitt were, in their own right, a dynamic duo.

With the success of the franchise came the inevitable merchandise tie ins. Knight Rider had something for everyone; t-shirts, toys, coloring books and today's topic of choice, Colorforms Rub n' Play Transfers!

These things have become a bit of an addiction for me as of late. I'm having a blast tracking down the vast array of transfers which Colorforms produced. As I said in a prior post on the subject, the company released a ton of sets based on 80's properties. This certainly won't be my last time discussing these things here at The Toy Box.

The "meat" of the collection was the Transfer Set. This featured a massive page of backgrounds in comic book panel style, and of course a fun set of transfers themselves. With the use of a basic number two pencil and your imagination, the story unfolded as you transferred each Rub n' Play onto the page in the spot of your choice.

Colorforms also produced a smaller Adventure Set (above) and the even smaller Transfers Pack. Both featured their own backdrops to incorporate the transfers onto, and would be what I would call more travel friendly for the child of the 80's on a family trip.

Sadly, Colorforms Rub n' Plays were like Underoos. Kids used them, and then they eventually got tossed out because they weren't of any further use. Because of this, some of these sets have become pretty rare and valuable on secondary markets. They're fun to collect, but by no means do I recommend dropping fifty to one hundred dollars on one only to pull it out of the box and play with it. No, instead these pieces are more so relegated to display only these days. It's kind of sad in a way because these things are so much fun.

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 17

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 17

Release Date: October 1964

Highlights

• Green Goblin returns for revenge, and this time he has his classic goblin glider
• Flash Thompson launches the Spider-Man Fan Club, Forest Hills Chapter
• Aunt May continues to try to get Peter to go on a blind date with Mary Jane Watson - Who we still don't get to physically see
• Green Goblin shoots his goblin sparks from his finger and throws pumpkin bombs for the first time

Low Points

• Green Goblin uses toys as weapons - Bats, frogs, etc.
• Spider-Man abandons the fight with Green Goblin to make an appearance as Peter Parker

Oddities

• Green Goblin uses a toy frog to break Spider-Man's webline

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: Annual 1

Release Date: August 1964

Highlights

• Doctor Octopus's arms are removed from his body
• First appearance of the Sinister Six - Sandman, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Doctor Octopus, Electro and Vulture 
• Uncle Ben's death recap
• Aunt May meets Doctor Octopus and we can see the kindling of her becoming smitten with him
• Fun rogues gallery pinup section after the main story
• Great secondary story showcasing the origin of Spider-Man, as well as, his skills, powers and devices which help him with his crime fighting

Low Points

• Peter Parker loses his Spider-Man powers yet again...Then randomly gets them bask as soon as the fighting starts because it was all psychosomatic
• Temporarily losing his powers serves no purpose other than to include a whole bunch of random cameos from other Marvel heroes to give shameless plugs to other comic books
• Overall story is contradictive from page to page - Characters say one thing, then do the opposite - See "Oddities" below
• Kraven the Hunter gives up almost immediately, once again flip flopping between vicious hunter and cowardice prey (see The Amazing Spider-Man 15)
• Sandman defeats himself with his own airtight trap

Oddities

• Doctor Octopus has a telepathic link to his removed metal arms and can still control them
• Uncle Ben's death is established as happening only months ago, yet Peter seems confused that Aunt May is not over it yet
• The Sinister Six believe they can defeat Spider-Man if they all attack him at once, then proceed to attack him individually
• The Sinister Six randomly draw cards to determine who will attack Spider-Man first
• Though the cards are drawn randomly, Doctor Octopus claims the cards denote a specific location he's chosen because said location is suited specifically to each villains strengths - So then the cards weren't random?
• Electro battles Spider-Man first and claims that "he" has selected the battle site, but previously it was stated that Doctor Octopus had
• Spider-Man survives a fully charged electric blast from Electro because he ties a grounding wire around his ankle
• Kraven the Hunter states to the other villains that he doesn't hunt in a pack because only solo victory will give him the revenge he seeks, but then brings two giant leopards to the fight with him
• Spider-Man's webbing acts like Silly Putty, transferring images to it by pressing it into the ink

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 16

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 16

Release Date: September 1964

Highlights

• Spider-Man meets Daredevil
• Great introduction to who Daredevil is for those who don't read his book
• Spider-Man meets the Ringmaster

Low Points

• Daredevil narrates everything he does, and it's kind of annoying
• Yet another silly plot revolving around a villain of the week scheming to rob people

Oddities

• As a hoax to sell tickets, Ringmaster falsly advertises that Spider-Man will appear in his show - Did he really think Spider-Man wouldn't notice this?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: The Lost Boys

As I make my may through 2020's Retro Spins, I actually find myself having a really good time. There's something to be said about songs which can induce visual memories in your head from not only a classic film, but also a point in time of your life.

The Lost Boys is one of my fondest films of the 80's, and probably  my all time favorite vampire film. Corey Haim, Corey Feldmen, Kiefer Sutherland and Bill S. Preston himself, Alex Winter, all play fantastic characters in this timeless (cult) classic.

Sam and Michael are all-American teens with all-American interests. Sam likes comic books. Older brother Michael likes girls. But after they move with their mother to peaceful Santa Carla, California, their relationship mysteriously begins to change. Sam still likes comic books. Michael now likes ghouls. Just wait 'til Mom finds out!

Want a movie with horror, humor, rock 'n' roll? Then sink your teeth into the stylish, with-it horror-comedy The Lost Boys. Filmmaker Richard Donner, whose Lethal Weapon brought a manic twist to buddy-cop pictures, teams with director Joel Shumacher (St. Elmo's Fire) and producer Harvey Bernhard (The Omen) to give a right-now, razor-toothed intensity to vampire tradition in the must-see shocker packed with heart-pounding terror, rib-tickling laughs and body-gyrating rock from INXS and Jimmy Barnes, Lou Gramm, Echo and the Bunnymen and others.

Also bringing new life to the age-old vampire lore is a superb cast, including Corey Feldman (Stand By Me, The Goonies), Jamie Gertz (Crossroads, Less Than Zero), Corey Haim (Lucas), Edward Herrmann (The Purple Rose of Cairo), Barnard Hughes (The Cavanaughs), Jason Patric (Tough Love), Kiefer Sutherland (Stand By Me) and Dianne Wiest (Hannah and Her Sisters).

Stake out your evening's entertainment and thrill to vampirism at its hippest, funniest, scariest. Party with The Lost Boys! - Back cover of the original VHS

I'm noticing a trend with 80's VHS covers where they're making it a point to not only promote the films, but also the soundtracks. As if they were hoping it would bring with it more sales of both. Maybe it did. I don't know.

The Lost Boys soundtrack, a fan I am not. You may boast a timeless movie behind you, but the album itself is pretty much a dud. Also, let's take a moment and look at that album cover. Could it be anymore boring than it is?

There are a handful of songs which make the album salvageable. I mean, who doesn't love the theme song, Cry Little Sister with it's haunting "Thou shall not fall, though shall not die, though shall not fear, thou shall not kill..."? Lou Gramm's Lost In The Shadows also isn't bad. The Door's classic People Are Strange, as covered by Echo and the Bunny Men, is decent, but truthfully I'd rather just listen to the original versus a cover.

Speaking of covers, Roger Daltrey's cover of Elton John / Bernie Taupin's Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me is also decent, but again, just give me the original. Not only that, but come on. It's Roger Daltrey. Couldn't he have contributed something a little more than a cover song here?

I Still Believe by Tim Cappello is memorable, but only because of the scene from the film where Cappello is belting it out on the beach with his saxo(ma)phone. Anyone catch The Simpsons reference in that last sentence?

Around the halfway point of it, I actually found it to be quite annoying and difficult to even ignore. I wanted so badly to turn this thing off, but plowed through it in hopes I would eventually come across something so amazing it would make it all worth the effort. This never happened. Instead, it climaxes with Thomas Newman's circus like instrumental track, To The Shock Of Miss Louise, as if to mock me upon its exit like I was some sort of clown for listening to the whole thing.

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Back To The Future Part II Skateboard (Valterra)

Back To The Future Part II
Valterra
1989

While I was by no means a skateboarder, I had one in the 80's. Didn't we all? I think they were state issued across the USA for anyone between the ages of eight and eighteen.

I remember, on one of those not to bright idea kind of days, locking a bike chain around the bar of the seat on my brother's bike. The intentions were for him to pull me on a skateboard down the street. It sucks how the smallest of rocks can ruin a good day, and even more so, how you always seem to find them on a skateboard. A sudden jolt which thrust me forward through the air and ending with a hard thud on asphalt resulted in a golf ball size bump on my forehead. I think that was the last time I ever got on a skateboard.

Still, skateboarding was all the rage among many of the kids in the neighborhood. It wasn't hurt by pop culture thrusting the concept down our throats in television and movies. Back To The Future pretty much lead the charge in that regard. As such, it was no surprise that boards would also be made available.

Valettra not only made boards based on the 1985 film, but also the one featured in it. However, these are a bit difficult to track down. Because of this, I instead thought I would focus on this amazing one from the 1989 sequel, Back To The Future Part II.

This one was unique in a way simply for the fact that it came in a box. Typically, boards were hung on pegboards, sometimes surrounded by heat sealed wrap, and didn't really display all that well. Adding the simple touch of cardboard packaging made these things pop on store shelves. Not only that, but it made them wrapping paper friendly for parents putting them under the tree or next to birthday cakes without it being obvious what was inside.

Even the design of the board was different from most skateboards of the era. It had a futuristic look to it, which I suppose makes sense considering the film it was tied into.

There's definitely a collector's market price tag attached to this board. They're not too common on secondary markets, and can easily set you back $200.00 loose and more for boxed ones. Oddly though, not by much. I've seen boxed ones sell for around $250.00.

Still this is far less than what you'll pay for an original Valterra board from the first film. Those can set you back anywhere from $600.00 to $750.00! To put it into perspective for you, most boards cost between $60.00 to $80.00. You don't start to see prices in the high hundreds to thousand range until you get into the professional boards market. These Back To The Future ones, while nice, are far from pro boards.

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 15

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Issue Number: 15

Release Date: August 1964

Highlights

• First appearance of Kraven the Hunter
• Chameleon returns - This time with his classic blank face
• First mention of "Watson", as in, Mary Jane Watson

Low Points

• Kraven flip flops from fearless hunter to frightened prey from page to page

Oddities

• Kraven and Chameleon get deported at the end

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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